The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Capital Territory Command, has arrested three suspects in connection with the vandalism of an NNPC petroleum pipeline in Dafa, Kwali Area Council, Abuja. The arrests followed days of intelligence-led surveillance by the Command’s tactical team. The NSCDC FCT Commandant, Olusola Odumosu, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the Kwali Divisional Office.
According to Odumosu, the pipeline, which supplies crude oil and petroleum products to the Kaduna Refinery and NNPC depots nationwide, had already been cut before operatives arrived at the scene. The suspects had fled the scene, abandoning the severed petroleum pipelines. However, the NSCDC operatives intensified surveillance, monitoring, and patrol of the location.
The suspects, Maitama Inuwa, Yahuza Danlami, and Yasir Abdulrahman, returned to the scene days later in an attempt to retrieve the abandoned pipe sections. On September 20, 2026, they allegedly returned to the area and attempted to load the abandoned iron pipes into a truck. NSCDC operatives, supported by members of the Vigilante Group, swiftly moved in and arrested the three suspects.
The arrested suspects include Maitama Inuwa, the driver of the truck with registration number MAK 159 XA(Niger) used in conveying the vandalised pipes, Yahuza Danlami, the Motor Boy of the truck, and Yasir Abdulrahman, the representative of the vandalised pipes dealers. Preliminary investigations identified four other individuals connected to the case who remain at large.
The NSCDC recovered one long commercial truck, vandalised NNPC Petroleum pipes, and 17 pieces of vandalised NNPC Petroleum pipes from the scene. Odumosu described how the syndicate allegedly operates, stating that they deliberately dig up and cut high-pressure pipelines into sizeable pieces for easy loading into their trucks in remote and forested areas.
The commandant warned that the activity carries serious risks beyond financial loss, including massive economic losses, catastrophic explosions, and environmental degradation. He said the Command would pursue those who financed the operation and enforce the full weight of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
Odumosu appealed to residents living along pipeline corridors to report suspicious activity, stating that they should not shield economic saboteurs. He urged residents to report any suspicious digging or unusual movement of trucks in remote areas to the NSCDC immediately.
Key points
- The NSCDC arrested three suspects for vandalising an NNPC petroleum pipeline in Abuja.
- The suspects attempted to load abandoned iron pipes into a truck, leading to their arrest.
- The NSCDC warned of serious risks associated with pipeline vandalism, including economic losses and environmental degradation.
